The present invention relates generally to cooling apparatus, particularly to an air convection apparatus for quickly freezing, chilling or cooling foods, beverages and other items by low temperature refrigeration.
The typical household or commercial refrigeration process is exemplified by the common household refrigerator which cools a large food storage area. Some apparatus cool small compartments as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,639 to Lidbeck. In this reference, a refrigeration method and apparatus is discussed which comprises a housing having a plurality of refrigeratable compartments. Each of the compartments are isolated from the others and cold air is supplied to each of the compartments. The temperature of the cold air supply to the compartments may be individually adjusted. Thus, opening one compartment to a room temperature environment does not affect the temperature maintenance in any other compartment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,168 to Reynolds, a freezer system is described which first partially freezes food products through conductive heat transfer with rotating contact freezers and then completes freezing the food products in an enclosed convection freezer. The food products are carried through the convection freezer on a conveyor.
The known refrigeration apparatus do not provide a household appliance for chilling or freezing food, beverage or other food products which may subsequently be consumed or placed in a refrigerator or freezer for storage.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a household counter top apparatus for quickly chilling or freezing food, beverage or other food products.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a convection chilling or freezing apparatus including a control circuit for controlling the temperature and duration of air flow for chilling or freezing selected food, beverage or other food products.